ENVI 262
Environmental Governance Spring 2025
Division II Difference, Power, and Equity
Cross-listed GBST 118

Human activities are having an unprecedented impact on our planet. In this course, we will take an interdisciplinary approach to examining how we are governing some of these impacts. We will evaluate the effectiveness and equity of environmental governance processes such as market-based incentives, community-based participatory systems, state regulation, policy strategies, and nature-based ‘solutions.’ Through course materials and student work, we will examine the role of power and politics in governance and their equity effects. Case examples from Global South nations such as climate change impacts on smallholder agriculture, deforestation and degradation, unequal development, poverty and indebtedness, and chemical use in agriculture will help us explore whether their governance has led to satisfactory or unsatisfactory resolutions. By the end of the course, students will be able to answer questions such as: What is governance? What types of governance have led to human well-being and sustainability? How does environmental governance vary around the world? Which actors–state, businesses, communities–have been effective in solving governance problems? The course structure prioritizes understanding of diverse perspectives through group activities, is use-inspired, and is designed to enhance research and communication skills important for environmental careers.